Anyone ever take the auto train from Va to Fla?

[njfamily]

Not thrilled about the thought of flying and currently looking into the auto train. To be honest, I am surprised at the quote I got from Amtrak’s web site. I thought it would be cheaper then flying. We are a party of 7(5 adults, 2 children) and will need to take two cars, as I know our luggage could not fit into our normal size van.

I am interested in anyone’s experience using this mode of transportation. Was it easy? How long before departure time did you need to arrive at the train for check in? How long did it take to get your vehicle back? What sleeping arrangements did you use? I could not find a description of Lower Level Reserved Coach or Reserved Coach. Can someone give me an idea of how much space you get with these seats? Do the coach seats recline to make sleeping easier? Is there actually an assigned to seat to each person, or just a reserved seat on the train, and first come first served as far as which seat to take? Adding a Family Bedroom, really made the flying option look good price wise.

Also what are the advantages of the train over the plane or vice-versa? I thought of the following: 1. Skip the whole airport luggage movement thing. (Checking in at airport, retrieving at the end of the flight, jamming it into a rental vehicle, etc.) 2. No chance of losing the luggage on the trip down to Fla. (unless of course your car is broken into or stolen). 3. Save 1 night of hotel bill on the way down, as you can sleep on the train overnight. If we took the plane, it is still almost one day of traveling and you would need to get lodging before you get to spend a full day at a park. (We plan on spending a few days at DW before the cruise.)

Any additions to this list would help, as I might be doing a train vs. plane pitch to my DH and DMil and DFil .

I may have just made these up, but they work for me: DMil (Disney Mother-in-law) DFil( Disney Father–in-law)

Thanks!
NJ family

 

[jenc]

Unfortunately, I am not going to be too much help. I friend of mine took the auto-train from VA to FLA this past December. She had a family of 4 (2 adults, 2 children). It worked out for her that if she took her DH's car (rather than her mini-van), it was the same price as flying. They did not get a sleeping compartment. They had 4 seats and I am pretty sure they reclined. My friend said her kids slept fine on the way down (they are 5 and 6 yo), but she was unable to sleep a good part of the night due to a crying baby nearby.

She is considering the auto train for another trip in the next year, and I know she was pleased with how it turned out.

Sorry I don't have more info.
Good luck!
JenC in MD

 

[Lolita]

We took the train quite a few years ago and we actually liked it. We did however have a sleeping compartment. The wait for the car was short. My sister on the other hand took the train last year and it was a nightmare. The train broke down, it was hot and they lost almost a whole day on their Disney reservations. I guess it is just like anything else. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.

 

[actuarian]

I have traveled from Washington, DC to Florida (round trip) about 7-8 times because I do not like to fly. However, I always take the ordinary trains (called Silver Service) rather than the auto train. This is for two reasons: First, the extra cost for the auto train to carry your car is usually more than the cost of renting a car unless you expect to be in Florida for more than two weeks. It also takes much longer to load/unload cars on the auto train than to pick up a rental at the Orlando Station. Second, my wife and I always travel in the sleeping car. The Silver Service uses new single level View Liner sleeping cars which are much more confortable than the old two level sleeping cars used on the auto train (the same cars that I have ridden in many times on Amtrak western routes). In any case, the only way to have any kind of specific reserved accommodations on Amtrak is to be in a sleeping car. Coach reservations simply guarantee that you will get a seat, no guarantee as to which one. The coach seats do recline and are bigger than airline coach seats, almost but not quite as large as airline first class seats.

 

[Dave_from_Marietta]

Originally posted by njfamily

I am surprised at the quote I got from Amtrak’s web site. I thought it would be cheaper then flying.

Yep, and the regular (non-AutoTrain) trains aren't really all that cost-effective either. It's actually cheaper and easier to fly many places (especially Florida) than it is to take a bus or a train. That's why more people than ever are flying (or <i>were</i> prior to last September).

What are the advantages of the train over the plane or vice-versa?

Almost everybody knows what it's like to fly to Florida, but how many people know what it's like to take a long-distance train, especially one that stops only once (for fuel in the middle of the night).

No chance of losing the luggage on the trip down to Fla. (unless of course your car is broken into or stolen).

Very little chance of that. The cars ride in the kind of rail cars that you see new cars being shipped in. No access is possible during the trip.

Originally posted by Lolita

My sister on the other hand took the train last year and it was a nightmare. The train broke down, it was hot and they lost almost a whole day on their Disney reservations.

That happens. AMTRAK definitely has a bad on-time record.

Originally posted by actuarian

The coach seats do recline and are bigger than airline coach seats, almost but not quite as large as airline first class seats.

Actually, from my experience as a former frequent flyer, I find that train seats on long-distance trains compare quite favorably to domestic First Class seats on airlines. First Class on U.S. domestic carriers isn't really all that special... it's just lacking the <i>discomforts</i> of Coach.

njfamily, if you want to email me, I'll send you the email address for someone I've corresponded with who's taken the AutoTrain twice in conjunction with Disney cruises. She can give you more info.

Also, I have driving directions from the AutoTrain terminal in Sanford to the cruise terminal.

www.dcltribute.com/directions

 

[gometros]

Originally posted by njfamily
Not thrilled about the thought of flying and currently looking into the auto train. To be honest, I am surprised at the quote I got from Amtrak’s web site. I thought it would be cheaper then flying. We are a party of 7(5 adults, 2 children) and will need to take two cars, as I know our luggage could not fit into our normal size van.

I really should write up all our expereinces on the auto train and save it. My wife has a fear of flying, so this is the only way we travel to Florida (although, sometimes I fly and meet them there. We do not do it to save money, but rather because of the flying issue. I do find that for us, a family of five, it can work out to be the same as, or cheaper than flying, depending on the time of year. Plus, there's the added advantage of having your car with you, meaning there's not the additional cost of a rental.

I am interested in anyone’s experience using this mode of transportation. Was it easy?

Very.

How long before departure time did you need to arrive at the train for check in?

You can arrive as late as an hour before departure, which is 4:00pm. If you are driving an SUV or van, it may be a little earlier. It's a good idea to check in as early as possible if your picky about your meal time or if you're in coach, for seat selection. We drive down from New York the night before and stay at the Comfort Inn next door. There's a discount for autotrain travelers. It use to be that we could check in as early as noon, then go somewhere in the area for lunch. But since 9/11, they've not been letting us do that (the reverse is not true in Sanford, however.) The train starts to board at 2:30pm.

How long did it take to get your vehicle back?

It depends on how full the train is. Figure about an hour per 50 cars. You could be first one off or you could be last. What time you checked in has no affect on the order your car comes off.

What sleeping arrangements did you use? I could not find a description of Lower Level Reserved Coach or Reserved Coach. Can someone give me an idea of how much space you get with these seats?

When we travel with the kids, we usually go coach. When my wife and I travel alone, we take the sleeping car. Coach seats offer plenty of leg room and they do recline for sleeping. The sleeping cars are a delightful way to travel. There are various grades of rooms. The lowest accomodation is the economy room, which sleeps two. Two seats face each other. They fold down to make one bed and the other bed drops down from above. It's comfortable, but you can't really stretch out your legs all the way. The next accomodation is the deluxe, which sleeps two adults and two children and has a bathroom and shower. The shower is over the toilet, so you can two two things at once The deluxe room is very roomy. The only thing I know about the lower level is most of those rooms are handicapped rooms.

Do the coach seats recline to make sleeping easier? Is there actually an assigned to seat to each person, or just a reserved seat on the train, and first come first served as far as which seat to take? Adding a Family Bedroom, really made the flying option look good price wise.

All seats in coach and all rooms are assigned upon check in. Yes, the sleeping car is pricey, but it's a delightful way to travel. The dining car is a little nicer. You get served on real china and the food is slightly better. There are lounge cars for smoking and where movies are shown at night. Or you can just sit around and talk or play cards. There are also snacks and drinks for sale in the lounge cars. When we take a sleeping car, we travel with a little TV/VCR combo we have, so that we can watch movies. There is an outlet in each room.

Also what are the advantages of the train over the plane or vice-versa? I thought of the following: 1. Skip the whole airport luggage movement thing. (Checking in at airport, retrieving at the end of the flight, jamming it into a rental vehicle, etc.) 2. No chance of losing the luggage on the trip down to Fla. (unless of course your car is broken into or stolen). 3. Save 1 night of hotel bill on the way down, as you can sleep on the train overnight. If we took the plane, it is still almost one day of traveling and you would need to get lodging before you get to spend a full day at a park. (We plan on spending a few days at DW before the cruise.)

I think the question of advantages versus disadvantages is a matter of preference. There is no argument that the plane will get you there faster. However, with the autotrain, you save on a rental and can take more luggage with you. We have found this to be extremely useful in the winter months, where even Florida weather can be iffy.

Cost is a question of how many you are travelling with and what accomodations you take on the train. Since you feel you need two cars, that does not help in the cost area.
For us, the fear factor is a big deal. If you hate to fly, the train takes the anxiety out of the trip. Plus, I've found Amtrak personnel to be exceptionally friendly and helpful. Traveling by train is fun too. It's great to watch America fly by.

Btw, although the question wasn't asked, if you compare the train to driving all the way down, the train wins hands down as far as I'm concerned. Especially if you have little kids. They can stretch their legs out on a train. Need I say more?

Any additions to this list would help, as I might be doing a train vs. plane pitch to my DH and DMil and DFil .

I may have just made these up, but they work for me: DMil (Disney Mother-in-law) DFil( Disney Father–in-law)

Thanks!
NJ family

I hope I naswered all of your questions. If I've left anything out or was unclear, please feel free to email me at canetti@optonline.net

 

[Kim&Chris]

We were scheduled to fly to WDW right after 9/11. Of course, the sheer terror of flying right after that horrible day got the best of us, so we took the Auto Train.

We live near Philadelphia, so it was only a 3 hour drive to Lorton, VA. We were pleasantly surprised at how nice the Lorton station is. Tons of seats, and a small newstand/restaurant to "hang out" in while you wait to board. We arrived in Lorton around 2:00 which gave us plenty of time to check in and have a snack while we waited to board.

We went coach. We did this because the cost of getting a sleeping car was obscene, and there was no way we wanted to waste potential souvenir money on a sleeping car.

Here's the best piece of advice I can give: The Auto Train rarely gets 'sold out', so there are normally alot of empty seats. When the train is getting ready to pull out of Lorton or Sanford, I strongly advise members of your family to claim a set of seats as their own. That way, they can stretch out and have a MUCH MORE COMFORTABLE and restful sleep.

We made the mistake of sleeping in our assigned seats on the way to FL, and it was just too cramped. On the way back, we found two sets of empty seats that were in our car, and 'snagged' them. We were each able to have our own bed on the ride home and it was 100% better than the ride down.

Also, take your own pillows and blankets because the ones they give you are rediculous.

Have fun

 

[Lisa F]

We have taken the auto train before and probably would do it again if it weren't for the cost. Last time I priced it, 2 adults + car in a standard sleeping compartment was around $1100. I wouldn't do it without a sleeping compartment, though, but that's just my personal opinion (my husband did a few times as a kid/teen and had no problem with it).

As far as how easy it was, I am an impatient person and I found it to be a bit more time consuming than flying. We only took it one way, but our car was the 2nd to last car coming off of the train and I think it took over 2 hours for our car to come off. I have never waited 2 hours for my luggage. Apparantly they give the last car off something (a silly gift) but you don't get anything for being second to last.

One thing that I didn't like is how hot and stuffy it got in that sleeping compartment at night on the bottom bunk. When the top bunk is pulled down it blocks the air flow and it was pretty uncomfortable. Because of that I arrived completely exhausted and extremely cranky (and was in no mood to wait 2+ hours to get our car back). I am the type of person who needs to sleep in a bed, so I don't think I would've been any better sleeping in a seat.

If I had been able to sleep, it could have been a very enjoyable experience. You check in, board, figure out where you are. We had dinner and then saw a movie and then it was time for sleep. Next thing you know (unless you are up all night dying for a breath of fresh air) you are there in the morning. I didn't have a problem going downstairs to use the "public" showers and I believe they even provide towels. I need to start my day with a shower or else I am in an even WORSE mood so I was glad to have that option (most people didn't seem to use it though).

Maybe some day we will try the regular (non autotrain) option, if the accommodations are nicer. I love traveling by train but for me, that long a train ride and overnight was too much for me. I think for the future I will confine my train rides to a few hours. It's hard for me to want to take the train when it only takes 2.5 hours to fly there.

Lisa

 

[njfamily]

Thank you to everyone for your very thoughtful replies. This truly is the best discussion board. Now I feel much more prepared to answer the questions that I know the other members of my family will have when I hit them with the auto train idea. Think I’ll do it next weekend, after I have a little more time to digest all the info you have provided. I also may look into the Silver Service that Actuarian suggested. Once again, thank you!

NJ Family

 

[DisneyPoly]

Hi!

We're a family of 6 and have taken the AutoTrain several times and are planning to do so again in 2 1/2 weeks. We are taking the train southbound, but driving northbound, since there was such a price difference.

We get the coach seating. I also recommend spreading out as soon as the train gets ready to pull out. Only once was the train crowded and we couldn't do this. It's a wonderful alternative to driving, as you can walk around and not have to stop to use the restroom, especially with children.

There is a movie shown 2x during the evening, you can watch dependent upon your dinner time. When arriving at the Lorton station, you check in and select your dining time. If you have a van or larger, you need to be at the station by 2:00. We usually check in at 1:00, then drive locally to get lunch and then return by 3:00. This way the children are not sitting too long.

I also recommend taking your own pillow and blankets. It's much more comfortable this way. Believe it or not, the food is okay. There is an adult menu and children's menu. The children can offered from either menu.

Only once did we arrive late (due to a death on a northbound train), so our departure from Lorton was delayed 3 hrs.

I also hate to fly (even prior to 9/11), so this is a nice, relaxing alternative for me!

Good luck with your decision!